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Monthly Archives: August 2015

Welcome to the world of Kevin Titzer!This amazing folk narrative world of misfits from an Evansville, Indiana native. Utilizing most of his work carved from found wood, and recycled materials, Kevin’s magical handcrafted storytale world looks like something out of Tinkertown or a classic early 1980 stop motion film. We are beyond elated to have Kevin at Stranger Factory this September with his show “Peccadilloes”!

Here is a glimpse of Kevin’s previous work.

And for a look at Peccadilloes

The opening reception for Kevin Titzer’s “Peccadilloes” along with Craig LARotonda and Amy Earles is this Friday, September 4th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory.

From her own bio:Out of natural instinct and some necessity, I’m a very private person in most ways. Communicating through art is something I’ve been doing since early childhood. Feeling out of sync with others led me to create other worlds for my mind to occupy and some of this is manifested through visual art. It’s not all just a projection of myself, but it’s also a world view filtered through a particular lens. One that is sometimes clouded by experiences and always a little askew.

This US-based artist known for paintings and illustrations with foreboding but fanciful flair, as well as her popular articulated paper dolls which pay homage to vintage playthings. Her unsettling gouache and pencil girls portray a mysterious and captivating emanation.

Through the Eye, will also be on display throughout September and Earles will be exploring the hidden layers of the self and the subconscious, aspects of the dreaming mind, and what it might mean to become another self, or many selves, when no one is looking. We are expecting to see a mix of original works including oil paintings, gouache paintings, intricate pencil drawings, as well as some archival prints of some of her most recent work, and of course, some of her paper dolls.

Have a look at the wonderment of Amy Earles!

And now a preview from Through the Eye!

The opening reception for Amy Earles’ “Through the Eye” along with Craig LARotonda and Kevin Titzer is Friday, September 4th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory.

Since we have three amazing artists gracing the gallery this September at Stranger Factory, we thought we would introduce them one by one.

He may have a pedigree of clients that will make your eyes bug out, but his work makes us drool and that is why we are excited for Craig LaRotonda’s“A Consortium of Lost Souls“. His work in 2D and 3D is a rampantly exhilarating foray into the distressed and distorted oddity world we do love. This world of sculpts containing creepy human-derived flotsam and jetsam and paintings of the uncommon mold make our cracked hearts go pitter patter.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Craig LaRotonda received his BFA in 1992at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with the internationally renowned illustrator Alan Cober. Currently working as a professional painter, illustrator, and sculptor, Craig divides his time between each endeavor.

LaRotonda’s richly layered paintings are provocative; his signature iconic style is reminiscent of Renaissance and Byzantine art while remaining boldly contemporary. His work possesses a dark narrative and grotesque elegance. These distorted creatures are captured in a timeless space — surviving the brutality and beauty of existence. Craig’s ability to make deformities and oddities become aesthetically magnificent is what makes his art so unique.

His paintings and sculptures incorporate mixed media and aging techniques, ultimately creating surreal figurative works. LaRotonda’s artwork graces the walls of famous homes including collectors in France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

Through his relationship with Film Art LA, his acclaimed art appears prominently in television and five feature-length motion pictures – including the Academy Award winning film “Traffic” directed by Steven Soderbergh, and “The Other Guys” with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

LaRotonda’s striking and unique art has been featured in Time Magazine, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, Juxtapoz, The New York Times and numerous other publications. This commercial work has received awards from the Society of Illustrators (in New York and Los Angeles), Communication Arts and Print Magazine.

Exhibitions include solo shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Paris. Craig also exhibits regularly in group shows nationally and abroad.

A few examples:

We can’t leave without showing a piece in progress for September’s show can we?

September brings three solo shows to Stranger Factorywith new and recent works from:Craig La Rotonda: A Consortium of Lost SoulsKevin Titzer: PeccadilloesAmy Earles: Through the Eye

Craig LaRotonda is a New York based artist known for his rich, provocative work which includes deeply layered, mixed media paintings and sculptures as well as sophisticated commercial illustrations which embody his dark narrative.

Combining a unique collection of hand-sculpted elements and found objects, La Rotonda delivers an unmistakable contemporary style with a nod to the Byzantine and Renaissance eras. A Consortium of Lost Souls will be on display throughout the month of September, featuring new and recent paintings, as well as some limited edition canvas giclee prints and more sculptures than La Rotonda has displayed since 2003. We can expect to see his usual surrealist motifs of freaks, misfits, shamans, and robosapiens, struggling and surviving the beauty and brutality of existence.

Kevin Titzer, was born in Indiana and has studied abroad under art residencies in Germany and Thailand. He currently resides in Canada.

Titzer’s work is known for taking on the appearance of ceramic or clay-baked pottery, though his original works consist of hand-carved wood and heavy layers of paint and varnish which create his signature aged patina.

For Peccadilloes, Titzer will be presenting a body of work that includes eight original sculpts, utilizing recycled and found objects and his typical narrative style that adds a touch of whimsy and humor to otherwise dark caricatures.

Amy Earles is a US-based artist known for paintings and illustrations with foreboding but fanciful flair, as well as her popular articulated paper dolls which pay homage to vintage playthings.

Through the Eye, will also be on display throughout September and Earles will be exploring the hidden layers of the self and the subconscious, aspects of the dreaming mind, and what it might mean to become another self, or many selves, when no one is looking. We are expecting to see a mix of original works including oil paintings, gouache paintings, intricate pencil drawings, as well as some archival prints of some of her most recent work, and of course, some of her paper dolls.

The opening reception for the September exhibitions is Friday, September 4th from 6 – 9 pm at Stranger Factory.

Some artists will be in attendance and each of the three exhibits will be on display until September 27th.